//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: Encounters and Introductions 
// Story: A Second Chance 
// by DullDragon2070 
//------------------------------//

“All right, I hereby call this meeting of the Cutie Mark Crusaders to order!” Apple Bloom declared, tapping her hoof against the podium twice, before turning her attention to her two best friends and fellow members. “Before we get to the usual business of getting our cutie marks, did y'all see that strange orange cloud over the Everfree Forest last night?”

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “It was HUGE! I saw it all the way from the Carousal Boutique!”

“I saw it, too!” exclaimed Scootaloo, her wings buzzing in excitement. “And how about that explosion before that. It was so loud, my house actually shook!”

“You're telling me!” Apple Bloom agreed stepping down from the podium to join the others. “With our farm as close to the forest as it is, I thought for sure ours was gonna collapse! It woke up my whole family.”

“It woke up a lot of ponies,” Sweetie Belle said. She then rolled her eyes as she added, “Especially my sister. She complained for half an hour about her beauty sleep being interrupted.”

“So, what do you think that cloud was all about, Apple Bloom?” asked Scootaloo, turning her attention to the earth pony.

“I'm not really sure. I asked Granny Smith about it, but even she didn't know. Said she never saw anything like it.”

“Well, it didn't last very long,” the pegasus pointed out. “It faded away after, like, ten minutes.”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom agreed, before giving her friends a determined smile. “But I think we need to go into the forest and take a look anyway. Who knows what that cloud did last night. If there was ever a chance to get our cutie marks, this might just be it.”

While Scootaloo immediately grew excited by the prospect, Sweetie Belle was more reluctant.

“I don't know, Apple Bloom. That sounds dangerous. And I don't think our sisters would want us going into the Everfree Forest right now,” she pointed out.

“Oh, come on, Sweetie!” Scootaloo implored. “That's never stopped us before!”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom agreed. “And it's like I said before: no risk, no reward!”

“The last time you said that, we didn't get our cutie marks, and Applejack had us cleaning up the rodeo after Trouble Shoes trashed it,” the unicorn reminded her.

That statement was enough to make the smile on the yellow filly's face wilt to a frown. “Oh, yeah,” she muttered, her eyes dropping to the floor.

Scootaloo could see the doubt overcoming both of her companions. She, too, remembered that day, causing a involuntary shudder to pass through her. But she shook it off, not ready to give up on the idea. Sure, there was the chance that they would get into trouble, but, in her mind, the possible reward was well worth the risk.

She stepped forward, intending to re-rally the girls, but stopped when she heard a faint, high-pitched chirp. Normally, she wouldn't have given it a second thought, given that there were birds always chirping outside the clubhouse. But that didn't sound like any bird chirp that she heard before. She looked to the window... just in time to see something pink fly by.

“Hey, what was that?” she asked, trotting over to the window. She hopped up, putting her front hooves on the sill and poking her head outside, looking around.

“What was what?” Apple Bloom asked as she came up behind the pegasus, Sweetie Belle quickly joining them.

“What did you see, Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo didn't answer right away, but kept looking about, trying to spot whatever passed by the window a moment ago. Suddenly, she was aware of a shadow above her that blocked out the sun. The pegasus looked up, just as the object smacked her in the face with enough force to knock her away from the window. Both her friends cried out as they jumped out of the way as she fell onto her back.

Having closed her eyes from the sudden impact, Scootaloo slowly opened her eyes, and was instantly greeted by the sight of two blue, glowing eyes, and a pair of grey mandibles.

The pegasus' high-pitched scream filled the clubhouse as she flailed wildly to dislodge the thing on her face. “Getitoffgetitoffgetitoffgetitoooooooooff!” she babbled hysterically. The creature obscuring her vision quickly flew off of its impromptu perch. The instant it was clear, Scootaloo rolled to her hooves and ran over and ducked behind her friends, who were looking at whatever was flying around overhead with wide eyes. “What is that thing?!” she asked, her voice an octave higher than normal.

Finally, the creature slowed its flight and descended, landing softly upon the podium, giving the three fillies a clear view of the invader. Perched on six fuzzy legs, it looked, to the girls, like a large butterfly, roughly the same size as Fluttershy's pet bunny, Angel. It was covered in white fur, with patches of pink running all along the back and the top of its head. Its wings were a pretty sight to behold, a swirl of pink, yellow and white, with bits of red and black mixed in as well. Atop its head, two small antennae lightly wiggled to and fro as it looked at the ponies with blue, lidless, lightly fluorescent eyes. It also had a set a grey mandibles, which looked like a sideways mouth. When said appendages opened, it let out a little chirp.

This elicited a high-pitched squeal from Sweetie Belle, who stared starry-eyed at the bug. “It's... so... CUTE!!!” she gushed.

“Wow,” Apple Bloom said in awe, though in a much calmer demeanor than her unicorn pal. “I've never seen a butterfly like that before.”

“Me neither,” Scootaloo replied, having calmed down from her initial panic attack.

“We are so keeping it,” Sweetie Belle stated.

“What?” Scootaloo asked, looking at her friend incredulously. “Sweetie, we don't even know where it came from.”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom chimed in. “It could be dangerous, or poisonous, or –”

“We. Are. Keeping. It.” the unicorn intoned with finality, giving her friends a look that could rival Fluttershy's Stare.

“Uh... yeah, sure,” Apple Bloom said uneasily, taking a few steps back, followed closely by Scootaloo.

“W-whatever you say, Sweetie Belle,” the orange pegasus chuckled nervously.

The sound of flapping wings brought the fillies' attention back to the butterfly, who had taken flight and was making for the open window from whence it came.

“NOOOOOO!!!” Sweetie Belle cried, making a running leap for the adorable insect, but, unfortunately, it had already made it outside before she cleared the distance. Unwilling to give up on her potential pet, she lit her horn, capturing the little escapee in the light green aura of her magic. However, before she could pull it back in, its tiny antennae lit up in a golden glow, which quickly spread around it, negating the little unicorn's magical hold on it, allowing it to fly away.

“COME BACK HERE!” Sweetie Belle screamed, actually climbing up onto the window sill. Had her friends not grabbed her, she would have jumped right out. As they pulled her back down, she flailed about, but unable to break free.

“Sweetie Belle, get a hold of yourself!” Apple Bloom snapped.

“But it's getting away!” her distraught friend replied.

“That ain't no reason to go jumping outta the window like that!”

The unicorn was about to make a retort, but was cut off by Scootaloo, who pointed out the window. “Look!”

Both her friends followed her pointing hoof, and were surprised to see the butterfly had turned around and was flying back towards the clubhouse. It stopped a few feet from the window, flapping its wings to stay airborne. It chirped at them before turning around and flying away again, but this time, it stopped a few meters away, turning back around and chirping at the ponies.

“What's it doing?” Scootaloo asked curiously, releasing her hold on the unicorn as she watched the bug repeat its actions.

“I think it wants us to follow it,” Sweetie Belle guessed. “Come on, girls, let's go!” She galloped towards the door, rather than trying to jump through the window again. Relieved that their friend seemed to regain some rationality, the earth pony and pegasus quickly followed after her.

Once they were outside, they immediately attached their wagon to Scootaloo's scooter. They hopped on, donned their safety helmets, and they quickly sped off, following after their quarry. It was a bit of a bumpy ride, as the elusive butterfly took them through groves of apple trees. Being the skilled rider she was, Scootaloo had little trouble maneuvering around the trees, even with the extra weight of the wagon and her friends. Every now and then, the wagon would run over a tree root or an upturned rock, jostling Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle a bit, but the fillies managed to hold tight. Eventually, the butterfly led them from the trees and onto the open road, much to their relief.

After a couple of miles, Scootaloo saw the butterfly flying towards another grove a trees, one that she easily recognized. “Girls, it's heading into the Everfree Forest!” she called over her shoulder.

“So? Just keep following it!” Sweetie Belle replied.

“I thought you said you didn't want to go into the Forest,” Scootaloo recalled.

“Yeah, what about it being too dangerous?” Apple Bloom reminded her. The unicorn merely looked at her with a smirk.

“It's like you said, Apple Bloom: no risk, no reward. Besides, cutie marks or not, I want that butterfly.” Sweetie Belle pointed her hoof towards the ominous entrance to the Everfree, which the object of her affection had flown through. “Come on, Scootaloo, full speed ahead!”

“Woo-hoo! That's the spirit!” Apple Bloom cheered with a wide smile.

“Yeah! Let's do it!” Scootaloo shouted, a determined grin crossing her lips. She flapped her wings harder, adding a burst of speed to her scooter. As they entered the dreaded forest, the three fillies gave a jubilant cheer that echoed through the trees.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, HO!!!”





“So, what exactly is a dinosaur?” Spike asked, prompting Godzilla to look back at him out of the corner of his eye as he walked. With the wounded dragons behind them, and having mostly recuperated from the harrowing experience, the little dragon was curious about the mysterious stallion that had come to his rescue.

“Well,” the kaiju began, turning his attention back to the path towards Ponyville, “dinosaurs were reptiles that once roamed the land a long time ago. They came in many sizes, but most of them were large. They looked like dragons, but most of them, including my kind, couldn't fly, and they didn't breath fire.”

“Oh,” said Spike. Then he blinked. “But, if they didn't breath fire, how are you able to?”

“It's not actually fire,” Godzilla said offhandedly. “And I gained that ability, along with others, when my body was mutated.”

“Mutated?” Spike repeated in awe. Thoughts of the Mane-iac from the Power Ponies comic books popped into his head. “Whoa. How did it happen?"

“Radiation from a weapon... created by humans,” Godzilla growled.

“Humans? You mean those creatures that walk on two legs, wear clothes, and have hands?”

“Yes.” He gave the forest a narrow, cautionary glance. “Thankfully, we haven't come across any... yet.”

Spike noticed the way Godzilla scanned the surrounding trees, eyes narrowed, ear flattened, and scowling. The stallion seemed agitated by the idea of running into humans. The little dragon thought back to the times he and Twilight visited the alternate world where Sunset Shimmer lives, and their encounters with humans; once you got used to their appearance, for the most part, they were pleasant to be around, especially the human doppelgangers of their pony friends.

For Godzilla, that didn't seem to be the case.

Spike comfortingly gave the large pony's back a gentle pat. “Well, you've got nothing to worry about. Humans don't exist here in Equestria.”

He was roughly jostled when Godzilla came to a sudden stop. The stallion whipped his head around, giving him a look of pure bafflement. Had Spike not been so startled by the action, he would have found the wide-eyed/mouth open look on the massive pony hysterical.

“Humans... don't exist here?” Godzilla asked slowly. Receiving a nod, he looked off to the side, staring at nothing. The thought was almost overwhelming for the kaiju. No humans? The troublesome creatures had been the bane of his mutated existence for years. Just last night, moments away from death, the kaiju had been surrounded by humans, looking on as his life extinguished. Now, he had just been told that none exist here in...

“Equestria?” His muzzle scrunched up in confusion. “What is that?”

“You don't know about Equestria?” Spike asked, a little confused himself.

“The name doesn't sound familiar,” replied Godzilla. He tilted his head in thought. “Of course, there are many places of the world I haven't been to yet. I usually keep to the ocean, and when I go to land, it's usually in or around Japan.”

Japan? Where the heck is that? Spike questioned mentally, getting almost as befuddled as Godzilla. He then shook his head, deciding it was better to focus on one thing at a time. “Well, we've still got a bit to go before we reach Ponyville. How about I tell you a little bit about Equestria while we walk?”

The kaiju nodded gratefully. “Perhaps that would be best,” he agreed, and started along the path once again.

Spike told the kaiju the condensed version of Equestria's founding, the three pony tribes, and the princesses. He also spoke about Twilight, their friends, and the many adventures they've been on. After awhile, the duo noticed the trees around them beginning to thin, until finally, the Everfree Forest gave way to clear blue skies, green plains and large mountains in the distance.

“I've never been so glad to be out of the forest,” Spike said, sighing in relief. He cast a wary glance over his shoulder at the dreaded woods, and happen to see Godzilla's tail casually swinging about. He blinked before he realized that the hair on the appendage was fully regrown. Glancing back to the front, he saw that the same was true for the stallion's mane; he'd been so distracted during his monologue that he didn't notice before. He then looked down at Godzilla's back; the wounds and burn marks that he got during the battle had become nothing but faded scars, which were slowly disappearing underneath his dark gray fur.

Wow, Godzilla's wounds have completely healed, Spike thought in awe. It's like he never even got into a fight in the first place! The little dragon was about to voice his amazement at the discovery, when the large pony suddenly came to a stop, jostling him for a second time. He looked up at the back of Godzilla's head in concern, and asked, “What's wrong?”

“There is a human village up ahead,” Godzilla replied, glaring at the settlement through narrowed eyes.

“That's Ponyville,” Spike quickly told him. The stallion looked back at him in confusion. “There aren't any humans here, remember?”

After a few seconds, Godzilla's eyes widened in recognition. “Oh... right,” he muttered, returning his gaze to the village. “So, that is Ponyville?”

“Yep,” Spike confirmed proudly. “Home to resident earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi. Plus, one devilishly handsome dragon,” he added boastfully, puffing out his scaly chest.

The kaiju didn't acknowledge the last comment, instead cautiously looked over the settlement. “So, ponies actually live inside houses, that they built themselves?” he asked.

“That's right.”

“But... how were they able to build with these?” Godzilla inquired, holding up one of his massive hooves for them both to see. “I imagine that it must be difficult without claws or fingers.”

Spike opened his mouth to answer, but then paused, rubbing his chin with a claw as he thought for a moment. Finally, he shrugged. “You know, I'm not really sure. I never actually thought about how a pony's hooves can clasp things; they just do.”

“Huh,” the kaiju muttered, putting his hoof back on the ground. Returning his attention to Ponyville, and, after another moment's hesitation, started down the path towards the town. “So, you are the only dragon, living in a town of ponies?”

“Pretty much.”

“Are the ponies not bothered by your presence?” Godzilla questioned.

“No, not at all,” answered Spike. “I mean, sure, there may have been a few who were nervous around me when I first moved here, but since then, they've all accepted me.”

“And none of them have mistreated you, or tried to do you harm?” the kaiju asked, a sharp edge entering his voice, which Spike picked up on.

“No,” he quickly assured the stallion. “The ponies here aren't like that. They're very welcoming and friendly towards me. Besides,” he added, “if anypony did mistreat me, and Twilight got wind of it, she wouldn't stand for it.”

“Twilight Sparkle.” Godzilla recalled Spike talking about her before. “She is your guardian?”

“Mm-hm,” Spike nodded. “She's the one who hatched me from my egg. She raised me, taught me everything I know, and she takes good care of me.”

“So, she is your parent?”

“Eh...” Spike hesitated, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. “I guess, technically, she is, but I've always seen her as more of a big sister.” The little dragon then smiled happily. “But all that matters is that she is my family.”

Godzilla felt a sudden pang in his heart at that word, memories of his late son flashing before his eyes. “Yes,” he muttered solemnly. “There is nothing more important than that.”

Spike, while unable to see his face, could hear the somber tone that had entered the pony's voice. He nervously bit his lip, realizing that he must have brought up what must have been a delicate subject for the massive stallion. Before he could say something to alleviate the tension, Godzilla spoke up, his tone brusque.

“We've arrived.”

Tilting his head to glance past Godzilla's mane, Spike could see that they had indeed reached the edge of Ponyville. He held his tongue, deciding to wait on bringing up the troubling topic that had made Godzilla upset. Maybe making friends with Twilight and the others will help cheer him up a bit, Spike thought hopefully.

Pushing away the unpleasant emotions he was feeling, Godzilla observed the village he had entered. The pony-made houses reminded him of those in rural villages spread throughout Japan, not at all like the modern skyscrapers that were more common in the heavily populated Tokyo. It looked primitive, no advanced technology that the humans prided themselves for.

Then, Godzilla got his first look at two of Ponyville's residents on a nearby bench. One was a cream-colored earth pony, with a mix of dark blue and pink in her mane and tail, lying on the bench with her legs tucked under her. The other was a pony with mint green fur and white haired mane and tail, and a horn on her forehead; from what Spike had told him earlier, she was a unicorn. Unlike her companion, the unicorn was sitting up on the bench, a lot like how a human sits, Godzilla realized. As he got closer, he also noticed that there appeared to be symbols on their flanks of things he couldn't immediately identify.

The unicorn was talking to the other pony very animatedly, gesturing with her front hooves. Then she happened to look up for a second and see him approaching, and her eyes widened as she gaped. Noticing this, the cream-colored pony looked in the same direction as her friend, and her expression became that of shock. The kaiju braced himself, knowing what was going to happen next. If they acted half the way humans did when he approached, they would scream in terror and run away. Others would hear them, see what the commotion was about, and would do the same thing when they saw him.

“Whoa...” the unicorn said.

Godzilla blinked. He wasn't expecting that.

Neither of the ponies were screaming, or running away. They just sat on the bench, staring at him. But their eyes were not full of fear, they were filled with awe; the same way Spike had looked at him during their first encounter.

By now, Godzilla had walked far enough for the earth pony to notice the small dragon on his back.

“Spike?” she said.

Recognizing the ponies, Spike smiled and waved. “Hey, Bon Bon, Lyra! What's up?”

The two identified equines got off of the bench and approached the large stallion, who had stopped walking.

“Whoa, Spike, what happened to you?” Lyra asked, seeing the bruises and scratches the little dragon.

Spike merely waved his claw. “Meh, had a little trouble in the Everfree Forest. I'm okay, though.”

“Are you sure?” Bon Bon asked, getting a nod from the young drake. While still skeptical, she didn't press the issue, and she turned her attention to the huge pony, who was looking back at them. “Who's your large friend?”

“Oh, this is Godzilla. Godzilla, meet Bon Bon and Lyra Heartstrings,” Spike introduced.

“Hey, there, Godzilla,” Lyra said jovially, giving him a big smile.

“Uh... hello,” he replied slowly, a little uncertain.

“It's nice to meet you, Godzilla,” Bon Bon said, a warm smile on her face. “Welcome to Ponyville.”

Godzilla was a little taken aback, not just by their greeting him, but also their sincerity. “T-... thank you,” he finally said.

“Well, we need to get going, girls,” Spike said. “Twilight's waiting for me. See ya.”

With that, Godzilla resumed walking, while Spike waved farewell to the two mares.

“Bye, Spike,” Bon Bon said, returning the gesture. "Go rest up, okay?"

“Take care of yourself, little guy!” Lyra concurred with her own wave.

“See?” Spike asked Godzilla, who looked a little dazed. “Like I said, welcoming and friendly.”

“Yes,” Godzilla replied distractedly. To say that the kaiju was bewildered would be an understatement. Most creatures, human or otherwise, would cower and flee at his approach. Never before had anyone looked upon him without fear or animosity.

Except for Miki Saegusa...

As the kaiju and dragon got further to the center of Ponyville, Godzilla began seeing even more ponies; mares, stallions, even fillies moving about. He saw more earth ponies, unicorns, and even ones with wings (pegasai, he remembered.). He was thrown off by the various colors the equines came in. Where he came from, the ponies and horses were more earth tones, like brown, black, white and gray. Here, they came in a more wide range of colors, even some that Godzilla didn't even know existed. Like the first two ponies, all of the adult equines had markings on their flanks, each of them different. Some of them were symbols of things that he was familiar with, like plants and animals, and others were various objects that he recognized from Miki's shared memories.

But what really shock him was how they behaved. Like the dragons, the ponies talked and acted a lot like how humans did. He saw a three mares, watering and tending to various flowers outside a shop; he spied a gray pegasus with a blonde mane delivering mail; he saw most of the ponies purchasing food and other items from various stands in a market place.

Of course, all activity came to a halt as the ponies spotted Godzilla walking down the street.

Godzilla felt all eyes on him as he walked along, which made him slightly uncomfortable for some reason; he was used to being gawked at before in his previous forms, but now, seeing their reactions up close, gave him strange feelings. They were speaking to each other in low tones, but thanks to his new ears, he was able to pick up most of what they were saying.

“Who is that?”

“Wow, he's huge!”

“Is that Spike on his back?”

“Great whickering stallions!”

“Where did he come from?”

“I've never seen him around before.”

“Check out the muscles.”

“Check out that nice flank.”

“Where's his cutie mark?”

“Who cares? Look at that flank!”

The more he heard, the more befuddled Godzilla became. He didn't sense any hostility coming from these equines; only curiosity with a little bit of caution mixed in.

“Hey, you okay there, big guy?” Spike asked, snapping the pony out of his daze.

“They're... not as afraid of me as I had thought,” Godzilla replied.

“Well, they're a lot less panicky around strangers now. If you had shown up in Ponyville five years ago, then they probably would have taken cover.” Spike admitted sheepishly, thinking back to the first time he and the others met Zecora. He then shrugged. “But, with all the crazy things that go on here every now and then, I think they've all mellowed quite a bit.”

Godzilla merely nodded at the statement, still overwhelmed with the whole situation. There were a couple of ponies who actually waved at him. Unsure how to react, the transformed kaiju waved back, albeit awkwardly. “Where exactly do you and Twilight Sparkle live?” he finally asked.

“You'll want to head for the other side of Ponyville,” Spike answered, pointing ahead of them. “It's a large, purple, crystal castle, you can't miss it.”

Godzilla turned his head in the designated direction, and sure enough, he saw the top of the aforementioned structure in the distance. The light from the mid-morning sun reflected brightly off the crystal surface, making the castle sparkle.

“Yes,” Godzilla muttered. “No way you can miss that.”

With that, the monstrous stallion made his way through the market place, leaving a group of gawking ponies in his wake.





Twilight was in council with her friends, each of them seated comfortably in their designated chairs around the crystal map. The current topic was the strange anomaly that occurred last night. Everypony had witnessed the phenomenon, with the exception of Twilight herself, having been stricken by the magical surge that had accompanied it.

“Oh, are you sure you're all right now, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked worriedly.

“I'm fine, Fluttershy,” the alicorn replied gently, giving her friend a reassuring smile. “Princess Luna was able to heal the worst of it last night, and sleep took care of the rest.” She then gave a whining groan. “I only wish that I could have seen the anomaly for myself.”

“Heh, guess we finally found downside to being an alicorn, huh, Twi?” Rainbow Dash teased.

“Now, Rainbow Dash, you shouldn't joke about Twilight's predicament like that,” Rarity chided.

“It's okay, Rarity, it's really no big deal,” said Twilight. She then chuckled. “Though I guess it goes to show that being a princess has its drawbacks.”

“Well, yes, I suppose,” Rarity conceded reluctantly, but then followed up in a more positive tone, “But, surely the pros of being a princess outweigh the cons; your royal title, your own stain-glassed window in Canterlot, this glorious castle!” She sighed dreamily. “I dare say that those alone are worth such a minor inconvenience.”

Twilight gave a good-nature roll of her eyes at the fashionista's dramatic sense of logic, as did the rest of her friends. Well, as minor as it might have been, I'd rather not have to go through it again anytime soon. she thought. She cleared her throat, gaining everypony's attention. “So, according to Celestia and Luna, the cause of the anomaly last night was most likely due to the arrival of... an otherworldly visitor,” she finished, barely able to contain her glee. While she found the possible existence of extraterrestrial life exciting, she wasn't sure how the others would react.

Immediately, the other ponies started speaking at once, each displaying various degrees of shock and surprise by what they just heard. A moment later, Rainbow Dash flew out of her chair, stopping right in front of Twilight, while staying airborne.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Otherworldly visitor? As in... an alien?” the cyan pegasus asked, receiving a slow nod from Twilight. “That...... is...... AWESOME!” she shouted jubilantly, doing an aerial back-flip, before landing back in front of her lavender friend.

“I know, isn't it?” squeaked Twilight gleefully, matching Rainbow's enthusiasm. Suddenly, both of them were pulled into a crushing hug that made their bones creak, courtesy of Pinkie Pie.

“Eeeee! This is so amazing!” Pinkie cheered, dancing happily on the tabletop, holding Twilight and Rainbow tightly in her forelegs. “I've always wanted to throw a party for an alien!”

“What?” Twilight grunted, having difficulty breathing while trapped in the pink pony's embrace. “Since when?”

“Now, Pinkie, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves,” Rarity spoke up. “We don't even know what this... visitor... is here for.”

“She's gotta point there, Pinkie,” said Applejack. “We don't know if it's friendly or dangerous.”

“Oh, goodness. I really hope it's friendly,” Fluttershy timidly spoke up.

“Don't worry, girls,” Pinkie said confidently, finally releasing Twilight and Rainbow from her hug, much to their relief. “I'm prepared for both scenarios. It'll either be a 'Thank-you-for-coming-in-peace-have-some-cake' party, or a 'Have-some-cake-before-you-abduct-us-or-probe-us-or-exterminate-us' party. Either way, there's gonna be cake.”

The ponies stared at their eccentric pink friend for a couple moments, before Applejack shook her head and looked at Twilight. “By the way, Twi, where's Spike?” she asked. “Seeing as how this sounds a lot like something he reads about in those comic books of his, I figured he'd be here, too, just as excited about this as you are.”

“We ran out of that herbal tea that I really like,” Twilight explained. “Spike volunteered to run to Zecora's to get some more for me.”

“Aw,” Rarity cooed. “Isn't he just the sweetest thing.”

“Yes, he is,” Twilight agreed, a warm smile on her face. She thought back to when she first woke up and found the baby dragon snuggled against her barrel, still asleep. Remembering how worried he had been last night, the alicorn didn't have the heart to wake him, and thus just laid there, hugging him close. When he finally roused from his sleep, the two set to work on researching the phenomenon that had occurred. All throughout the morning, her Number One Assistant was by her side, diligently retrieving whatever items she requested.

When she found out that they had run out of her favorite tea, she had little chance to feel disappointed, as Spike quickly stated that he would fetch some more from Zecora. She had been hesitant to let him go into the Everfree Forest, especially considering that there was something new–and possibly dangerous–lurking in there. But Spike was adamant about doing this for her, promising to go straight to Zecora's hut and then come right back with the tea, all the while looking up at her with those big, green, puppy-dog eyes. Finally, Twilight gave in, telling him to be careful before he sped out the door.

Coming back to the present, Twilight cast a glance at the doors leading to the hallway. “Where is he, anyway?” she asked aloud. Calling upon her magic, she summoned a pocket watch to appear before her. Looking at the current time, her eyes widened. “He should have been back by now. It's taken him sixteen minutes and thirty-seven seconds longer than it should to get to Zecora's and back!”

Rainbow Dash gave Twilight a strange look. “You actually timed how long it takes to get to...” she trailed off. A second later, she crossed her hooves over her chest and finished in a flat tone: “Uh, never mind. You're you, of course you did.”

Ignoring the prismatic pony's remark, Twilight banished the watch away, frantically fidgeting in her seat. “Why hasn't he come back yet? Did something happen to him?” She put her head in her hooves. “Oh, I never should have let him go into the Everfree Forest, not after what the princesses told us last night!”

“Now, calm down, sugar cube,” Applejack spoke up, cutting across her friend's panicked ranting. “Don't work yourself into a tizzy.”

“Um, I'm sure Spike is fine,” Fluttershy meekly offered.

“I concur,” Rarity agreed, coming around the table to place a gentle hoof on the purple alicorn's shoulder. “It's been awhile since either of you have seen Zecora. Perhaps he visited with her for a bit and merely lost track of the time.”

“Or, maybe he's already back in Ponyville, and just got caught up talking to somepony along the way,” Rainbow added, getting exclamations of agreement from the others. Twilight began to relax, her friends' words putting her at ease.

“Orrrrrrrr~,” Pinkie spoke in an ominous tone, gaining everypony's attention, “maybe he was abducted by the alien.”

And, just like that, Twilight shifted back to panic mode.

“Oh, my,” Fluttershy muttered, seeing her friend's expression. “Um, Pinkie...”

“What if, on the way back from Zecora's, Spike accidentally crossed paths with the alien,” Pinkie continued, not hearing the timid pegasus. “And the alien, seeing an interesting specimen, grabs him, and takes back to his spaceship, somewhere deep in the Everfree Forest. There, he straps Spike to a lab table, poking and probing the little dragon to see what makes him tick.”

“Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said sternly. “Would you please–”

“Or, maybe the alien took Spike to interrogate him, to learn our secrets and to infiltrate our pony society. Spike, being the brave little dragon he is, refuses to talk, so the alien resorts to torture!”

“That's enough, Pinkie!” Applejack snapped.

“And, finally after enduring so much pain and suffering, Spike starts begging for mercy, spilling his guts, while at the same time, crying, 'Whyyyyy?! All I wanted to do was get Twilight her favorite tea! WHYYYYYY–'”

The party pony's rant came to abrupt stop, thanks to Rainbow shoving her hoof into Pinkie's mouth. She noticed the cyan pony was glaring at her. Blinking, Pinkie cast a glance to the others, who were looking at her in a similar fashion. Except for Twilight, she was wide-eyed and trembling.

Ears flattening against her head, Pinkie gently removed Rainbow's hoof from her mouth, giving everypony a nervous smile and a weak chuckle. “I'm not helping,” she surmised.

“Ya think?” Rainbow deadpanned.

“I have to save Spike!” Twilight shouted, quickly spreading her wings and taking to the air. The frantic princess didn't get far, for Applejack reached out and caught Twilight's tail in her teeth, and, giving it sharp yank, brought the alicorn to a halt. Another tug on her tail brought her back down to the ground, where the farm pony quickly wrapped her strong hooves around Twilight, who immediately struggled to try and break free, with little success. Had she been thinking clearly, she would have simply teleported away. “Applejack, let me go!”

“Not until you calm down,” Applejack firmly replied.

“But Spike–”

“Spike is fine, Twilight,” Applejack said in a soothing tone, giving her friend a comforting nuzzle, which calmed the alicorn a little. “He's just running late, simple as that.”

“Twilight!"

Everyone jolted at the familiar voice. They turned their heads to the doors, their ears picking up the faint sound of tiny footfalls echoing along the crystal walls. The voice called out again, louder and closer this time.

“Twilight!”

“Spike!” Twilight felt her heart lighten as she was nearly overwhelmed with tremendous relief.

“See?” Applejack said, grinning as she released her friend. “I told ya, Spike is just fine.”

Twilight returned the smile, happy that she had been worried for nothing. The little drake called out her name again; it sounded like he was right outside the double doors. She trotted to the entrance just as the left door opened. “Spike,” she called. “Thank goodness. Where were you? I was really–”

She came to an abrupt halt, a loud gasp escaping her lips as Spike entered the room. She heard similar gasps from her friends, but paid them little mind, focused solely on baby dragon's state. His body was covered in an assortment of bruises and scratches, there were a couple of cracks in his head spines, a few scales were chipped or missing, and his right eye was nearly swollen shut, the area around it a darker shade of purple.

“SPIKE!” Twilight cried. Horn flaring, she popped out of existence, instantly reappearing in front of the drake. Spike barely jumped with a start before he was swept up into her hooves and pulled to her chest.

“Ow! Easy, Twilight,” he groaned. “I'm still a bit sore.”

Twilight pulled back enough to look over Spike's injuries, but didn't let go of him. A second later, they were swarmed by the others, each exclaiming their shock and concern over the little dragon's condition, before bombarding him with questions, one right after another, giving him no chance to really respond.

“Everypony, QUIET!” Twilight shouted, making everypony fall silent. The young princess then took a deep, calming breath, before releasing it. When she felt that she had reigned in her emotions, she looked Spike in the eyes. “Spike,” she said gently, a slight tremor in her voice. “Please, tell me what happened.”

“Well, I was on my way back from Zecora's with your tea.” He paused to indicate the pouch he still had in his claws. “But along the way, I was ambushed by Garble and the other dragons that I met during the Great Dragon Migration. They were still a little angry from the last time we met. They tried to take the tea from me, and when I wouldn't let them, Garble used me as a punching bag.”

“Oh, you poor, poor thing,” whimpered Fluttershy, carefully nuzzling the baby dragon's head.

“Those jerks!” Rainbow snarled angrily, the rest of the ponies agreeing with her.

Twilight, while sharing their sentiments, looked at the little dragon incredulously. “Spike, if all they wanted was the tea, why didn't you just let them have it?”

Spike didn't immediately reply, looking down to avoid her gaze. Finally, after a moment, he spoke up, keeping his eyes on the floor. “If I let them take it, I would've let you down,” he said softly. “I couldn't do that again.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked, confused. “You haven't let me down.”

“Last night I did,” he replied miserably. “You were in real pain, and I wasn't able to help you.”

“Oh, Spike,” said Twilight, realizing that he was feeling guilty about what happened to her.

“Pardon me for saying so, Spike, but that's a load of hogwash,” Applejack said. “You're the one who wrote to the princesses when Twilight was hurting.”

“Applejack is right, darling,” Rarity agreed, gently stroking Spike's head spines. “It was thanks to your calm and quick thinking that Princess Luna was able to come and help Twilight right away.”

“I was anything but calm,” Spike muttered, a light blush forming on his cheeks from Rarity's touch.

“Spike,” Twilight spoke softly, using her hoof to gently lift his chin so he would look up at her. “They're right. If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be worse off right now.” She carefully pulled her little brother into another hug. “You always come through for me, Spike, but you don't have to put yourself in danger to do it... especially not for tea. Please, don't do something so foolish like that again.”

“I'm sorry, Twilight,” said Spike, overcome with guilt for upsetting her. He clutched at her middle with his free claw, burying his face in her fur. “I'm sorry.”

“Shh, it's okay,” she whispered, holding him close and nuzzling his head. A second later, the rest of their friends joined in the hug, helping to comfort the little dragon.

“The important thing is that you are safe now, Spikey-Wikey,” Rarity said after they all pulled apart.

“And, hey, you still got the tea!” Pinkie cheerfully pointed out, indicating the pouch in his claws. She then gave him a couple gentle pats on the head. “That's gonna go great with the congratulatory cupcakes I'm gonna bake for you!”

“Gotta say, Spike, surviving a dragon attack is pretty awesome,” remarked Rainbow Dash.

“How did you manage to get away from those dragons?” Fluttershy asked him.

“Oh, I wouldn't have gotten away if it weren't for Godzilla.”

“Godzilla?” all six ponies asked, simultaneously.

“Yeah! He the pony who rescued me!” Spike answered, excitement filling his voice. He paused for a second. “Well, he's sort of a pony.”

“What do you mean, 'sorta'?” Applejack asked, confused.

“You have to see for yourself. Come on!” he said, moving towards the doors. “I can't wait for you guys to meet him.”

Twilight and the others shared a questioning glance, before shrugging and following after him. When they entered the hallway, Twilight used her magic to levitate Spike off the ground and onto her back. “You should rest Spike,” she told him, before looking to Fluttershy. “Could you please get the first-aid kit, Fluttershy? It's in the second set of doors on the right.”

“Of course,” Fluttershy replied, immediately taking flight and going through the designated portal.

“Tell us more about this... Godzilla feller, Spike,” Applejack requested. “What's he like?”

“I must say, it's a rather peculiar name for a pony,” commented Rarity.

“You said that he was 'sort of' a pony,” Twilight remembered. “What did you mean by that?”

“Well, he looks like an earth pony,” Spike explained, “but, he's a lot bigger than normal, the size of a horse. Bigger than Big Mac and Bulk Biceps... he's even bigger than Princess Celestia. And he's got sharp teeth.”

“Sharp teeth?” Pinkie repeated curiously, before letting out a huge gasp. “Is he some type of Wer-pony, one that eats other ponies and howls at the moon?!”

“Uh... I don't think so,” Spike answered slowly. “I'm not sure if he howls, but he can definitely roar. Anyway, he said that he wasn't always a pony. He used to be a dinosaur.”

“What the hay is a dinosaur?” Rainbow asked.

“He said that they are big reptiles that look like dragons, except they don't breath fire,” he explained, before adding: “Although, he's able to because he was mutated by humans.”

By now, everypony was giving the dragon looks of concern and skepticism; all except for Twilight, who appeared to be thinking about something. Rainbow leaned in close to Applejack to whisper: “Those dragons must have roughed him up worse than we thought. He's talking nonsense.”

“I heard that!” Spike snapped, giving the pegasus the stink eye. Rainbow turned her head to the side and whistled, trying to act innocent. Spike wasn't buying it, and was getting ready to lay into her when Twilight got his attention.

“Spike, you said 'humans', right?” she asked intently.

“That's right,” he replied with a nod.

“Hmmm, come to think of it, that word does sound familiar,” said Rarity, tapping her chin in thought, before turning her attention to the alicorn. “Wasn't it you who said it, Twilight?”

“Yes,” replied Twilight, her eyes wide in recognition. “That's the name of the species I turned into when Spike and I went to that alternate world that Sunset Shimmer lives in.” She inclined her head in thought for a moment, before a look of realization crossed her face. “In fact, it was Sunset who told me about dinosaurs in one of her journal entries! She was telling me about the different libraries and museums that are in that world. One museum she visited had huge skeletal remains of dinosaurs on display. She said that they did share some similarities in appearance to dragons, and that they went extinct millions of years ago.”

“Millions of years?!” exclaimed everypony in shock.

“Hang on, are you saying that this dino-... er, pony... whatever he is, is millions of years old?” Rainbow asked skeptically.

“Wow, I bet it cost a fortune to get candles for his birthday cake every year,” Pinkie commented.

By this time, the group of friends had reached the main hall, where they were rejoined by Fluttershy, carrying the first-aid kit in her mouth. Twilight looked about the large space, before turning to look at Spike. “Where is he, Spike?”

“He's outside,” he answered, pointing towards the castle's entrance.

“Outside? Why didn't you invite him in?”

“I did. He said that he wanted to wait outside,” Spike explained. He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I don't think he's used to being inside.”

“Why do you say that?” Twilight inquired.

“He took a few steps inside, but then he stopped and looked up at the ceiling. He looked... uncomfortable.”

Twilight pondered this while casting a glance at said tall ceiling. She certainly could understand the feeling, having felt that way the first couple weeks she started living there. After a moment she shrugged and said: “Well, come on, everypony. Let's not keep our guest waiting.”

The ponies proceeded to the doors. As they walked, Applejack pulled in next to Twilight. “Say, Twi? If humans and dinosaurs come from the same place that Sunset lives, do you think it's possible this Godzilla somehow came through the portal?”

Twilight thought about for a moment before shaking her head. “I don't think so,” she said. “Spike said Godzilla saved him in the Everfree Forest. If he did get there from the castle, I'm sure somepony would have spotted him walking through Ponyville, especially if he's as big as Spike says he is.”

The group reached the front entrance, and Twilight used her magic to open them as she continued: “Although, I must admit, Spike, that I'm a little skeptical about his size. I mean, sure, there are some pretty sizable ponies that we know, but I doubt that there's one who can be actually bigger than Celes... tia...”

She trailed off as the doors were fully opened, giving her a clear view of outside. What she saw made her jaw drop.

A few meters from the castle steps, stood a massive, gray-coated stallion, with a lighter colored beard, a spiked mane that grew down to his broad shoulders, and a swishing tail that was nearly twice as long as the pony himself. The equine in question was glancing at a slowly growing group of ponies that had gathered to observe the newcomer while keeping their distance.

By this point, the rest of Twilight's friends had come up on either side of her so they could get a clear view of what was happening. When they saw the stallion, like their lavender friend, they gaped in shock. Fluttershy let out a quiet gasp, dropping the first-aid kit, which clattered against the floor. The large pony's ear swiveled toward the sound, prompting him to turn his head towards the castle, his golden eyes landing on the six ponies standing at the top of the steps, making them freeze.

For a moment, nopony moved a muscle, not a word was spoken, everyone waiting on bated breath to see what would happen next.

Finally, with a smug grin, Spike spoke up: “See, told ya.” He hopped off of Twilight back and proceeded down the steps. “Come on, Twilight!”

Snapping out of her daze, Twilight quickly followed after him, her friends falling in behind her. As they approached, she analyzed the colossal Clydesdale. Spike hadn't been exaggerating about the pony's size, she realized; doing a quick calculation in her head, she figured that Godzilla was at least a full head taller than Princess Celestia. As she got closer to him, she could see two white fangs poking out the corners of his mouth. She looked to his flank, and was shocked to discover that he didn't have a cutie mark. Then, there was his eyes, the golden irises almost had a dull glow about them. She wasn't sure if it was due to her enhanced alicorn senses, but she would swear that she could feel a powerful aura coming off this stallion.

What really caught her interest was his expression. Initially, he watched them approach intently, cautiously. But when he looked down at Spike, who had stopped a couple feet in front of him, the pony's expression softened a little.

“Godzilla, I'd like you to meet my friends,” said Spike, pointing a claw to each one as he said their names. “This is Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle.” He then turned to his friends and indicated the large stallion. “Everypony, this is Godzilla.”

After a little hesitation, Twilight took a step closer, cleared her throat, smiled and said, “Uh, hello, there... Godzilla.”

“Hello... Twilight Sparkle,” replied Godzilla.

“Oh, my,” Rarity breathed, a light blush forming on her cheeks. What a voice, she thought. Her eyes traveled along up his body, drinking in his muscular form–What muscles–before coming to his face, lingering on his chiseled features. What a hunk! With her hoof press against her forehead, the unicorn swooned, a soft mewl escaping her lips as she fell against Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, brother,” the pegasus groaned.





The journey through the Everfree Forest had not been as dangerous as the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been expecting; it was rather uneventful. Scootaloo continued to follow after the brightly colored butterfly, carefully veering around any obstacles in the path of her scooter. Sweetie Belle kept her focus on the adorable bug, while Apple Bloom was on lookout duty, continuously scanning the surrounding forest.

Eventually, the young pegasus spotted something up ahead of the elusive insect. “Hey, girls, look at that!” she exclaimed, pointing with her hoof.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked in the direction Scootaloo indicated. Through the thinning trees, they spotted a large, worn down, stone structure growing closer.

“Hey, that's Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's old castle!” Apple Bloom realized.

“Weren't our sisters fixing it up?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Doesn't look like they've made much progress,” Scootaloo commented, before seeing the butterfly veer sharply to the right. She turned to follow it, but saw that she was quickly approaching a cliff. Reacting quickly, she adjusted her wings, flapping them forward, while pulling back on the handlebars. The combo helped her bring the scooter and wagon to a successful stop, just a few feet from the edge.

The Crusaders left the vehicles, while leaving on their helmets, carefully moving towards the edge of the cliff to look down into the small canyon. Scootaloo was the one to spot the elusive butterfly, alerting her friends. The pretty insect was hovering near the entrance of what appeared to be a cave, and there was also a bright light emanating from inside.

“What's that glow?” Scootaloo asked, squinting to try and get a better look.

“I'm not sure,” Apple Bloom replied.

“How are we supposed to get down there?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Apple Bloom didn't answer right away, looking around the canyon.  A moment later, her eyes widened and she smiled. “We'll take the stairs,” she said, pointing her hoof.

“Stairs?” the unicorn questioned, raising an eyebrow. She then followed her friend's hoof, and sure enough, there was a long, zigzagging staircase, chiseled out of the rockface, connecting the top of the cliff to the ground below. “Oh...” she mumbled. “That's convenient.”

After carefully descending the steps to the bottom, the fillies wasted no time galloping towards the cave. Seeing their approach, the butterfly immediately flew through the opening. The crusaders reached the cave's entrance a few seconds later, and what they saw inside made them stop in their tracks and drop their jaws. Near the back of the cave, was a large crystal tree, which was the source of the light. On the trunk, there were carvings in the shape of cutie marks, and on the branches, there were colorful jewels of various shapes, ones that the crusaders recognized.

“Hey, aren't those the Elements of Harmony?” Scootaloo asked as she and the others started forward again.

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom confirmed. “Applejack said they had to return them to the Tree of Harmony to get rid of those pesky vines that nearly swarmed Ponyville last year.”

“So, this must be the Tree of Harmony that Rarity told me about,” Sweetie Belle realized, staring starry-eyed at the breathtaking site. “It's even more beautiful than she described it.”

Her friends murmured in agreement as they all stopped in front of the tree, mesmerized by its presence. They would've continued to stare at it, but a loud chirping tore their attention away from it. Off to the side, perched near a small outcrop of rocks, the little butterfly was perched on top of a boulder, beating its wings in an anxious manner.

“There it is!” Sweetie Belle whispered, making her way towards the bug, taking slow steps so as not to scare it off. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo fell in behind her.

“Why did it lead us down here?” Apple Bloom wondered.

Neither Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle provided an answer, but as they got within a couple feet, the former caught side of something behind the rocks that they didn't see before... a splash of red. “Hey, I think there's something back there,” the pegasus said, pulling from the group to investigate.

Apple Bloom watched her curiously, while Sweetie Belle split her attention between Scootaloo and the butterfly, reluctant to let it out of her sight. When Scootaloo got around the outcrop, she froze on the spot, a gasp escaping her lips. Needless to say, this concerned her friends. Both of them trotted over to her side to see what she was looking at, and when they did, they also gasped.

Lying atop a bed of crushed stones, was the prone form of a large, white-furred unicorn. At least, that's what they thought at first glance, but as they moved closer, they saw that the creature wasn't a pony, but was just pony-shaped. They had a mane of long, fiery-red hair pooled around its head, a tail of the same color, and a smooth horn that was about at least a foot long and was curved upwards, resembling a crescent moon. In addition to their above average size, their legs were long, signifying that they were rather tall in stature, but in their current position, it was difficult to determine an exact height.

There were a few attributes that really caught the girls' attention. Whereas the head, neck and legs were snow white, the creature's torso was more silver in color, like it was wearing light body armor. The entire back of the torso was solid red, a couple shades lighter than the hair, and there was a band of the same color circling its middle. On the chest was a cluster of blue, circular protrusions that looked like jewels. They was they were arranged in a way that formed a symbol, which looked like a shining sun divided into four parts by an overlapping cross. To the fillies, it almost looked a lot like a cutie mark. And crowning its head, sitting about the red tresses, was what looked kind of like a miniature white tree that broke out into four branches. Tipping the ends of those "branches" were four round blue orbs, same color as the chest jewels. 

However, as fascinating as those features were, what was really eye-catching about the creature was the pair of butterfly wings it was sporting. They were very large, each bigger then the individual they were attached to, and their colors were a mix of black, yellow, red and white; nearly the same coloration as that of the butterfly that they followed here, the Crusaders realized.

The next thing they noticed was that the creature was in pretty bad shape. It was on its side, motionless with its eyes closed, and it was covered with various bruises and scratches. One of the wings was crumpled over a part of its body, like a makeshift blanket, while the other was laid out across the rocks. Both appendages had holes and small tears in the thin membrane.

Apple Bloom carefully stepped closer, leaned down and placed her ear to the creature's chest. She was relieved when she vaguely heard a heartbeat, and could feel the chest gently rise and fall. “It's alive,” she told the others.

“What is it?” Scootaloo asked, grimacing at the damaged wings, instinctively tucking hers tighter against her body.

“I'm not sure,” Apple Bloom said as she carefully ran a hoof over its skin; the texture of the neck felt firm, but there was a small layer of fuzz on top. It was like touching a ripe peach. She then gently moved her hoof over its silvery torso. It was a little more solid; it reminded Apple Bloom of Tank's shell. "I've never seen anything like it."

Sweetie Belle looked at the creature, giving a contemplative hum while tapping her chin with a hoof. "I don't know about that, Apple Bloom." she finally said. "Something about this thing seems familiar." 

"What do you mean, Sweetie?" Scootaloo questioned skeptically. "Have you seen this thing before?"

"No, but I feel like we saw something like it before, but I just can't remember where," she clarified.

A sudden chirp brought the unicorn out of her reverie, reminding her of what brought them down her in the first place. She looked to the little butterfly, still perched on top of the bolder; it was staring intently at the unconscious being. Sweetie Belle looked back and forth between the adorable bug unknown creature. A moment later, her ears flatten against her head as she came to an uncomfortable conclusion. Looking at the insect, she lamented, “You belong to it, don't you?”

The butterfly let out what sounded like an affirmative chirp.

“It must've come to the clubhouse looking for help,” Apple Bloom guessed.

Sweetie looked down at the ground in sadness, realizing that her hopes for a cute pet were dashed. She then looked up again, seeing the pink insect looking sadly at its owner; its little antennae wilted against its head, a weak chirrup leaving its mandibles.

Feeling her heart clench at the sight, Sweetie Belle angrily chided herself for being so selfish. She then stepped toward the bug, giving it a caring smile. “Don't worry, cutie,” she said, determination in her voice, “the Cutie Mark Crusaders are going to help the both of you. Right, girls?” she asked, turning to her companions.

“Yeah!” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo agreed.

The butterfly's antennae rose to their full height at this declaration. With an enthusiastic chirrup, the cute bug flapped its wings, lifted from the rock and found a new perch on top of Sweetie Belle's head, eliciting a round of giggles from the little ponies. 

“Now we just gotta figure out how to do it,” Apple Bloom said after their laughter faded. The three fillies fell silent as they thought. After a couple minutes, Scootaloo beamed.

“I've got it,” she said. “I'll take the scooter and head for Ponyville to get some help. You two stay here; I'll get there faster if I go alone.”

“Good idea, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said.

“Just be careful,” cautioned Sweetie Belle as the pegasus galloped for the cave's opening. “And hurry back.”

“Don't worry, girls,” Scootaloo replied, looking back at them with a smirk as she ran. “I'll be back before you can say Cutie Mark Crus–oof!”

Not looking where she was going, Scootaloo ran headlong into something firm. The impact sent the filly falling onto her back. She groaned as lifted her head and pressed her hoof against it; thank goodness she kept her helmet on. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see what she hit.

She froze, eyes widening when she saw a tall, dark cloaked figure, standing over her.





After the rest of Twilight's friends had joined in greeting Godzilla, they all fell silent as Spike filled them all in on how he met the giant pony. As he did this, Fluttershy, after recovering the first-aid kit, tended to his wounds, specifically the claw that had been holding the tea pouch. It turned out that Spike had been clutching that bag so tightly through the whole ordeal with the dragons, that his claw actually cramped up, and he was unable to unclench it. Twilight had to use her magic to open his claw and remove the tea, which had been a bit painful for the dragon, and now Fluttershy was gently wrapping it up in gauze while Spike continued his story.

Godzilla stood close by, watching as the timid pegasus treated the young drake, while occasionally glancing over his shoulder at the growing number of ponies who continued to stare at him. Honestly, he was beginning to miss it when creatures ran away from his presence.

Perhaps going inside would have been better, he thought. After arriving at the castle, he followed Spike up the stairs and through the doors. After barely taking four steps, the kaiju glanced up towards the high ceiling and froze. It was the first time he actually seen the inside of a building, and it immediately made him feel uneasy. He was used to seeing open skies, clouds, and other celestial bodies. Even at the bottom of the ocean, with millions of gallons of salt water pressing down upon him, he still found it calming because of the open space.  However, being inside of an enclosed space, it felt suffocating. It made him feel even smaller than he was now. How humans could tolerate it, even prefer it, he had no idea. For a brief moment, he imagined what it must look like for them when the ceiling crumbles under a massive foot... his foot, and the debris comes crashing down on those unfortunate to be inside. It sent a shiver down his spine. When he snapped out of it, he told Spike, who had looked at him in concern, that he would wait for him outside the castle.

Pushing the uncomfortable thoughts from his mind, Godzilla turned his attention to Spike, who had just finished retelling the events that happened in the Everfree Forest. By now, the six ponies were looking at the transformed kaiju with a mix of awe, admiration, and some skepticism. The one that really caught his attention, was the one called Pinkie Pie, who was literally trembling with exuberance, her blue eyes so wide, they looked ready to pop out of her skull.

“That... is... soooo... AMAZING!” she finally shouted, leaping about excitedly. “You really showed those dragon meanies whose boss!” She then looked to her rainbow-maned friend. “Right, Dashie?”

“Eh, I guess,” replied Rainbow Dash skeptically. “Kinda hard to believe, though.”

Godzilla looked at her questioningly. “Why is that? What Spike told you is the truth.”

“Don't get me wrong, big guy, I believe him,” she clarified. “I'm just having a hard time buying that an earth pony could take on a bunch of dragons.”

“And just what the hay is that supposed to mean?” Applejack said indignantly, stepping up angrily to pegasus. “You don't think we earth ponies can hold our own in a fight?”

“No,” replied Rainbow, holding up a placating hoof. “I'm just saying that it's hard to believe that this guy could take on six dragons, win, and walk away without a scratch.” She then puffed out her chest as a smug grin crossed her lips. “Now, had it been me fighting those gasbags, then it would be believable, because, as awesome as I am, they would never be able to lay a claw on me.”

“Didn't you turn tail and run the last time you ran into them?” Applejack quipped, smirking when the pegusus paled. “And weren't there just three of them then?”

“I only did that because Spike, Twilight and Rarity were there!” Rainbow shot back, crossing her hooves over her chest and turning away. “If I didn't have to worry about their safety, I would have clobbered those dragons for sure.”

Applejack's smug expression didn't let up. It was clear that she wasn't buying Rainbow's excuse. After a moment of observing their odd behavior, Godzilla turned to the colorful pegasus to clarify: “I did receive damage during the battle, but my body was able to heal itself, like Spike said.”

“That's the part I'm having trouble swallowing,” Rainbow said, turning to the giant equine. “That's the type of magic you don't usually see in an earth pony. And then there's that whole blue fire thing. An earth pony breathing fire strong enough to burn dragon scales?” She scoffed. “I'll believe that when I see it.”

Godzilla looked at the prismatic pony in befuddlement, wondering why anyone would want to willingly see his atomic breath. He didn't have long to think on it before he noticed that Twilight had moved to stand in front of him, looking up at him with a warm smile.

“Thank you for saving Spike,” she said gratefully, gently wrapping a wing around the baby dragon. “I don't know what I would do if I lost him.”

Godzilla looked into her eyes and saw that her gratitude was genuine. He looked about the other five ponies and found they conveyed the same sentiment. It stirred something in him, this time in the area where is heart was; it felt like warmth, and it wasn't from radiation. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.

“You do not need to thank me, Twilight Sparkle,” he said. “I just happened to be nearby at the time.” He then gave her a serious look. “But if you intend to let him wander into the forest again, you might want to teach him how to defend himself.”

“Oh, you don't have to worry about that,” she brightly assured him. “After what happened, I won't be letting him near the Everfree Forest anytime soon.” She tightened her wing around Spike. “In fact, I'll probably never let him out of my sight again for the rest of his life.”

Spike blanched at that. He knew that Twilight could be a bit overprotective of him from time to time, but he got the feeling that after this, she was going to go completely overboard. He imagined her putting him in a baby pouch and carrying him around with her, or even tying a safety harness to him so he couldn't get very far from her. He gulped at the uncomfortable thoughts.

“Nonsense,” Godzilla replied, snapping Spike out of his reverie. “It is only natural for a hatchling to wander from home more and more as he grows. Sheltering him will do little good.”

“The big feller does have a point, sugar cube,” Applejack said. “You don't want to get carried away when it comes to watching over Spike.” She blushed as she remembered how overprotective she got with Apple Bloom that one time. “Trust me, you don't want to coddle him too much.”

Twilight looked between the giant stallion and the farm pony, before looking down at the Spike, still trapped under her wing. The drake give her a pleading look, and after a moment of contemplation, the alicorn sighed and retracted her wing, letting him go. “You're right,” she admitted. Seeing Spike give her a grateful smile, she affectionately patted his head. She then turned her attention to their large guest. “I guess we should turn our attention to you. According to Spike, you are actually a dinosaur, and you've had encounters with humans.”

“Yes,” Godzilla replied disdainfully. “You're lucky that they apparently don't exist here.”

Twilight blinked at the bitterness that had entered his tone; she looked to her friends, who appeared confused and concerned by his sudden mood. She then looked to Spike, who winced before leaning in to whisper, “I don't think he's had any positive experiences with humans, Twilight.”

This surprised the young princess, as she remembered her last few interactions with the species. Once she got past the awkwardness of becoming one of them, she found they were amiable to be around. Maybe Godzilla's dealt with another breed of humans that I haven't encountered yet, she surmised. She would have to consult with Sunset on the matter when she got the chance, but for now, she decided that it'd be better to change the subject. “So, how did you wind up in the Everfree Forest?”

The look of disdain of the kaiju's face changed to one of contemplation. After a moment, his frown deepened as his ears lowered. “I don't know,” he huffed in frustration. “I've been trying to figure that out myself.”

“Well, what's the last thing you remember?” Twilight asked.

Godzilla's eyes glazed over as he recalled something he'd just as soon forget. “Dying,” he answered somberly. The six ponies, and baby dragon, all gasped at this. Before they could inquire as to what he meant, he continued: “Last night, I was locked in battle with an enemy in Japan. The power that I possess was growing stronger, stronger than my body could contain; it was slowly destroying me. My enemy was the first to perish, but I was not far behind. I burned alive as my flesh and bone melted away to nothing, and then... darkness.”

The kaiju paused to observe his small audience. The ponies looked horrified by what they just heard; a couple of them were even a sickly shade of green. “The next thing I remember,” he pressed on, “is waking up in the Everfree Forest this morning. Alive... and looking like this,” he added, looking down at his equine body. “I do not know how I survived, how I arrived in Equestria, or how I became a pony.”

He looked back to the ponies, now looking at him with varying degrees of awe. He then noticed that Twilight was looking at him more intensely, unblinking; it unnerved him a bit. 

“What?” he asked.

“You said that you were in... Japan, you called it?... last night?” she inquired fiercely, taking a couple steps toward him. “And you woke up in the forest, this morning?”

“Yes,” he answered wearily.

“Twilight, what is it?” Spike asked. She didn't reply, but the dragon saw the look in her eyes as she stared at the large stallion. He recognized that look. That was the look she wore when she was calculating, trying to solve a complex problem. After a minute, those violet eyes opened wide as she gasped. She then pointed a hoof at the fanged equine.

“You're the alien!”

This announcement caused the others to gasp and exclaim in shock. Even a few of the ponies from the gathered crowd heard Twilight's shout, and started murmuring to each other. Godzilla, meanwhile, blinked in confusion.

“What?”

“The alien?” Rarity repeated in bewilderment. “Twilight, are you saying that Godzilla is the one responsible for that disturbance last night?”

The alicorn nodded, an excited smile appearing on her face. “The timing fits almost perfectly between his story and the magic surge,” she explained. “There's also the things he's told us. He was in a place called Japan. I've studied a few maps of some areas beyond Equestria, but I don't think I've ever come across a land by that name. There are also humans where he came from, but there's never been any recording of their existence here. And then there's the abilities Spike told us he could do. Maybe it comes from being an alicorn, but I can definitely sense some kind of power emanating from him. There's little doubt that he is–”

“Excuse me.”

Twilight and the others looked up to see Godzilla, looking nonplussed and a little annoyed at being talked about like he wasn't there.

“What exactly are you talking about?” he asked in a curt tone.

“Oh, sorry,” Twilight said, an embarrassed blush forming on her cheeks. She then told him about the phenomenon that occurred the other night and the theory the princesses had. As she spoke, Godzilla's annoyed grimace was slowly replaced with dazed puzzlement.

“This... this planet isn't Earth?” he asked when she finished talking.

“No, the planet we're on is Equus,” Twilight told him. “We generally use the term 'earth' to refer to the soil, or ground we stand on.”

“I can't believe it,” Spike said in wonder. “I was talking to an alien this whole time, and I didn't even realize it.”

“Wow, Spike,” Rainbow Dash said slyly, playfully nudging the dragon. “Not only did you survive a dragon attack, but you're the first to meet an alien from outer space. You're on a roll today.”

“That's definitely earned you some brownie points, little buddy,” Pinkie commented. “And a batch of gooey chocolate fudge brownies to go with your cupcakes.”

“Um, Twilight,” Fluttershy meekly murmured, just loud enough to get Twilight's attention. “I hope you don't mind me asking, but... if Godzilla is an alien, then how come he looks like a pony?”

“That's a good question, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied encouragingly, earning a small smile from the shy pegasus. “I actually might have a theory on that, but I'll need to do some research before I can confirm it.” The alicorn looked back to Godzilla, before a giddy smile formed on her lips. “Oh, this so exciting. I have so many questions.”

“As do I,” he returned calmly. “I'm still not sure how I came to be here. A moment ago, I wasn't even aware I was on a different world.”

“Don't worry, Godzilla,” Twilight assured him, “my friends and I will do whatever we can to help you figure it out.” A second later, she let out an excited giggle, bouncing on her hooves like a filly. “I can only imagine how Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will react when I tell them about this. I can hardly wait to get started.”

“Speaking of getting started,” Pinkie said enthusiastically, bouncing up and down, “I've gotta get started on Godzilla's party!”

“My... party?” Godzilla asked.

“Yep,” she cheerfully replied, not pausing in her bouncing. “And believe me, Big G, this is a party you won't soon forget!”

Big G? he thought, raising an eyebrow at the hopping pony. These equines were very strange to him, but the pink one... she made him weary. Something just didn't feel natural about her. But he put that thought aside for now, focusing on a more pressing matter.

“What's a party?”

The silence that followed the kaiju's question was deafening. Everypony looked at him in bewilderment. Pinkie had stopped bouncing, somehow frozen in midair. A second later, she slowly descended to the ground, her shocked expression never changing.

Suddenly, she snorted, before bursting into laughter. She fell to the ground, clutching her stomach while wildly kicking her hind legs. She carried on like this for a good minute before she started to calm down, wiping a few tears from her eyes. “That's funny,” she said, still giggling. “'What's a party?' That's a good one!” She then looked up at Godzilla and the last of her giggles instantly caught in her throat when she noticed that he was looking at her strangely, and he wasn't smiling.

“Wait!” she said incredulously, instantly shooting to her hooves. “Are you serious? You don't know what a party is?”

“That's why I asked,” he replied flatly.

Pinkie gawked at him, mouth opening and closing, but no sounds coming out; she looked like a gasping fish out of water. Finally, she shook her head to snap out of it, and she looked at him in bafflement. “How can you not know what a party is?!”

“He's an alien, Pinkie,” Applejack said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Maybe they don't have parties where he comes from.”

Pinkie let out a loud gasp, going nearly pale white in the face. She looked like she had just heard the most horrific thing in all her life. Which, in her case, it was. She started sputtering indistinctly.

“To answer your question, darling,” Rarity said quickly, drawing Godzilla's attention away from Pinkie. “A party is a social gathering where ponies get together to celebrate a particular event, such as welcoming someone new to our town. Refreshments are served, and entertainment is provided to ensure everypony has an wonderful time.”

“I see,” replied Godzilla, nodding in understanding. He imagined that humans had parties to celebrate things. They're probably celebrating my apparent demise, he thought bitterly. “Well,” he said, banishing the unwanted thought, “I've never had one of those.”

“N-never?”

Godzilla looked at Pinkie, who looked back at him with wide eyes, her body now trembling uncontrollably. Her friends took a couple cautious steps back from the twitching pony, knowing how unpredictable she could be.

“You've n-n-never had a p-party before?” she stuttered, her tremors getting worse. “N-not even a b-b-birthday p-p-party?!”

The kaiju blinked, eying her warily as he answered: “If you mean the day that I hatched from my egg, then no.”

What happened next, Godzilla couldn't comprehend. One second, Pinkie was there, the next, she seemed to disappear. In that same instant, he felt something wrap around his neck with surprising strength. He looked down, and his nose came into contact with a puff of pink hair, which smelled sickeningly sweet.

“You poor, poor, pooooor thing,” Pinkie cried, nuzzling the large pony while tears streamed down her face, dampening his fur. “The things you've missed out on: the adrenaline rush of ponies yelling 'Surprise!' or 'Happy Birthday!', playing party games that put a smile on your face, the taste of cake covered with frosting... creamy frosting,” she moaned pitifully.

Godzilla was completely flabbergasted. What is with this pony? He looked to Spike and the other ponies for assistance, but they mostly looked on with varying degrees of amusement. Apparently on his own, he opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was: “Uhhhh...”

Thankfully, he didn't need to say anything, because Pinkie soon let go of him and returned to the ground. Now though, she wore a determined expression on her face. “But don't you worry, Big G, that's about to change,” she said with complete certainty, a big smile on her face. “I'm gonna throw you the biggest, best-est, super-duper funnest very first party you've ever had!”

Had he not been so disturbed by her erratic behavior, he probably would have admired her resoluteness. As it was, he calmly raised a hoof to placate the pony. “That's really not–”

“I'll bake up every party confection I know,” she continued, rolling right over his words. “I set up all the essential party games from bobbing for apples to spin the bottle.” She paused for a second before breaking into a wider smile. “In fact, this is the perfect time to bring out... the big guns!”

More than a little annoyed at this point, Godzilla spoke up again. “Really... Pinkie Pie... there is no need to...” He paused, her last words clicking in his mind. “Wait... guns?”

“Big guns,” Pinkie clarified. “Which makes sense when you think about it. Using big guns to throw a big party for a big pony, right? Anyway, I usually use my normal party cannon for most occasions, buuuuut~,” she drawled, stepping to the side to reveal large white sheet, covering something that was nearly twice the size of the pink pony. “Since this is such a momentous occasion, I think now's a good time to test out...”

Where did that come from? Godzilla numbly wondered, taken aback by the object's sudden appearance. Of course, that question became a secondary concern when Pinkie used her teeth to yank away the sheet to reveal...

“The Super-Duper Ultra Mega Party Cannon!” Pinkie announced as she dropped the cloth and indicated the item with dramatic flare.

The ponies stared at the new artillery in amazement. It was triple the size of her usual cannon, secure atop a red painted mount and wheels. The cannon itself was dark blue in color, and around the muzzle, which was large enough for a pony to slip into, were red flames.

And it was pointed at the gaping kaiju.

“What...?!” Godzilla blurted, raising a foreleg in alarm.

“Pretty impressive, isn't it?” Pinkie asked him cheerfully, misreading his expression. She tapped the side of the cannon proudly. “I ordered it from the latest Party Cannon catalog. This baby has the capacity to deliver twice the confetti, twice the glitter and twice the streamers in one explosive shot. I can tell by the look on your face that you're thinking that it can't possibly get better than that, right? Well, it can! Because I got the Double Blowout Special!” She motioned to her left, where a second white sheet somehow appeared right next to her. Like before, she ripped the cloth away, revealing a second cannon identical to the first one. “Buy one Super-Duper Ultra Mega Party Cannon, and get a second one, absolutely free!”

Again, Godzilla would questioned how this pony was able to make these cannons appear out of thin air, if he was not distracted by the fact that now he was looking down the barrels of both weapons aimed right at him. In an instant, he started having flashbacks of tanks, mazers, jets, a giant mecha of himself, all firing upon him, intent to ending his existence.

Unaware of the images going through his head, Pinkie smiled and said: “These will guarantee that your party is a blast!” Giggling at her joke, she grabbed both of the cannons' lanyards, one in each hoof.

While the ponies watched in curiosity, and some concern, Spike was watching Godzilla as this was happening, and seeing the look on the stallion's face, a hollow feeling quickly formed in the pit of his stomach.

“Pinkie, wait!”

The little dragon's shout came too late, as Pinkie pulled back hard on the ropes. The bang that followed was so loud that it nearly blew out everyponies' eardrums, and the blast was so strong that it kicked up a huge cloud of dirt that enveloped Godzilla completely.

For the next few minutes, Twilight and the others held their ears, waiting for the ringing to stop. As their hearing slowly returned to normal, they turned their attention to Pinkie. The party pony had fallen back on her rump, her already crazy mane now blown back and frizzy... well, frizzier. Her blue eyes were wide, as was her smile.

“Wow! Didn't expect that!” she exclaimed. “Talk about getting more bang for your bit!”

“Pinkie, what in tarnation were you thinking?!” Applejack snapped, coming up next to her eccentric friend.

“What?!” Pinkie asked loudly.

“You can't just go shooting off untested cannons at somepony like that! Ah know it's only confetti, but–”

“What?!” Pinkie repeated, rubbing a hoof in her ear. “You're gonna have to speak up, Applejack! I can't hear you over the ringing!”

The farm pony groaned as dragged her hoof down her face. She was fixing to speak again, when she noticed that the dirt cloud finally settled, and Godzilla was visible again. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped when she saw him.

The stallion's body was plastered with confetti and streamers. Clumps of the colorful bits of paper were stuck in his beard, spiked mane and tail. His charcoal-gray fur sparkled, thanks to the glitter covering it. Godzilla's eyes were clenched shut, his face scrunched up in a grimace, and he was coughing and hacking, spitting out some confetti in the process; he stuck his tongue out now and again, showing that it was covered with splotches of wet glitter and confetti.

The others looked at the large pony in concern, with the exception of Rainbow Dash. The minute she saw the state he was in, the pegasus busted out laughing, much to the chagrin of Twilight.

“Rainbow Dash, that isn't funny!” she chastised, which did little to dissuade her friend's antics. She cast a glance to the ponies who had gathered. While some of them also looked concerned, there were a few, much to her disappointment, who were chuckling at the mishap.

“Oh, my goodness, are you okay?” Fluttershy asked worriedly, stepping closer to Godzilla. His response was more coughing and snorting, dislodging more confetti. “Do you need some water?”

“Don't worry, Big G,” Pinkie said, wearing a reassuring smile. “Some cake and punch will definitely get rid of that pesky glitter aftertaste.”

“I'm mighty sorry about that, partner,” Applejack apologized to him.

“You'll have to forgive our friend, Mr. Godzilla,” Rarity said in an appeasing tone. “Pinkie Pie means well, but she can be a bit... overzealous at ti–”

She was interrupted by a low growl, which quickly grew louder. The aggressive sound made everypony freeze; even Rainbow abruptly stopped laughing. All eyes fell Godzilla; his eyes were still shut tight, but his lips were curling back, revealing fangs and sharp teeth as he continued growling. Spike's ears fell as he covered his mouth with his claws, a foreboding sense of dread overcoming him.

“Oh, no,” he whispered.

Godzilla's eyes snapped open, bloodshot from the glitter, his golden irises glowing brighter as he locked them on the ponies before him. More specifically, the pink one who had shot him.

Feeling the sudden tidal wave of killer intent wash over her, Pinkie's ears flattened and her mane deflated a bit, and she squeaked out, “Uh... oopsie?”

This didn't seem to satisfy the terrifying equine. Eyes narrowing, Godzilla pulled his head back, took a deep breath, and lunged forward with his jaws wide open, unleashing a sound that shook the citizens of Ponyville to their cores.

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-